VLC Media Player Hits 7 Billion Downloads Across All Platforms
VideoLAN says VLC has topped 7B downloads on all platforms as of Aug 2026, about 18 months after hitting 6B in Jan 2025. President/lead dev Jean-Baptiste Kempf cites a port to Amazon’s Vega OS for TVs and ongoing work on VLC 4, plus last year’s local-model translation/subtitle tease.
VLC, the free, offline media player developed by non-profit VideoLAN, has surpassed 7 billion downloads across all platforms, the organization announced in August 2026.
Jean-Baptiste Kempf, VLC’s president and lead developer, shared the milestone in an email. The 7 billion mark was reached roughly 18 months after VLC crossed 6 billion downloads in January 2025.
Kempf also noted that VideoLAN recently ported VLC to Amazon’s new Vega OS for TVs, and that the team continues to work on supporting additional platforms and codecs. Development of VLC 4 is also underway, though Kempf indicated it is taking time.
Last year, VideoLAN teased AI-powered translation and subtitle features using local models, though it remains unclear whether those features have been released.
The milestone underscores sustained demand for a no-cost, offline media player at a time when streaming platforms increasingly require paid subscriptions. VLC’s continued growth may suggest that a significant portion of users still rely on locally stored media and open, free software.